Selectively openable seal line and containers having same

A selectively openable seal line comprising:

• (a) a first sheet including
• (i) a first inner surface of a thermoplastic material, and
• (ii) a first outer surface;
• (b) a second sheet including
• (i) a second inner surface of a thermoplastic material, and
• (ii) a second outer surface;
• (c) said first and second inner surfaces secured to each other at a seal formed by a focused energy source, which melts said first and second inner surfaces at said seal, said formed seal defining, along a cross section taken through seal line, perpendicular to said seal line;
• (i) a bead area of increased thickness at a break end of said seal, between said first and second inner surfaces, said bead area of increased thickness coextensive with said first and second inner surfaces along less than all of the surface of said bead area,
• (ii) a break line inwardly of said break end and bead area, at said second sheet, substantially adjacent said bead area,
• (iii) an arcuate depression having a concave downward surface extending from substantially adjacent said break line to a minimum seal thickness point, and
• (iv) said arcuate depression including a concave upward surface extending upwardly from said concave downward surface;
• (d) the seal further defining a beveled surface defined by said second outer surface, beyond said concave upward surface, the thickness of said seal along said beveled surface increasing to a bevel end of said seal;
• and
• (e) the seal further including a secondary bead area between said first and second sheets, extending beyond said bevel end.

A container having two chambers for the separate storage and selective mixing of two components, comprising:

• (a) a first sheet including
• (i) a first inner surface of a thermoplastic material, and
• (ii) a first outer surface;
• (b) a second, diaphragm sheet including
• (i) a second inner surface of a thermoplastic material, said second inner surface having melt-flow characteristics substantially identical with the melt-flow characteristics of said first inner surface, and
• (ii) a second outer surface;
• (c) said second, diaphragm sheet sealed about at least a portion of its periphery to said first sheet and to a third sheet opposite said first sheet;
• (d) said first sheet and said third sheet sealed about their entire peripheries, forming the exterior wall of said container;
• (e) an externally, selectively, manually openable seal line between said first sheet and said second, diaphragm sheet, wherein a cross section taken through said seal line, perpendicular to said seal line at the cross section defines a seal, said seal formed by a focused energy source, which melts said first and second inner surfaces at said seal, said seal defining
• (i) a bead area of increased thickness at a break end of said seal, between said first and second inner surfaces, said bead area of increased thickness coextensive with said first and second inner surfaces along less than all of the surface of said bead area,
• (ii) a break line inwardly of said break end, between said second, diaphragm sheet and said bead area of increased thickness, the thickness of said seal at said break line being at the least not substantially less than the thickness of said second sheet, and
• (iii) an arcuate depression having a concave downward surface extending from substantially adjacent said break line to a minimum seal thickness point;
• (f) at least said second, diaphragm sheet, said openable seal line and said third sheet defining a first chamber for holding the first component;
• (g) at least said first sheet, said openable seal line and said second, diaphragm sheet defining a second chamber for holding the second component;
• (h) whereby manual separation of said first and second sheets near said openable seal line will rupture said seal line and said second sheet, placing said first and second chambers in open communication.

A selectively openable seal line for sealing a first and second sheet of material together and defining a predetermined break point, the seal being so constructed and arranged that upon an application of a specific force to the sheets, the sheets break only at the break point, the seal line comprising in cross section:

• a bead area of increased thickness, the first and second sheets being sealed at the bead area;
• a beveled surface defined by the second sheet, the first and second sheets being sealed at the beveled surface;
• a concave depression located between the bead area and the beveled surface, the concave depression defining a point of minimum seal thickness;
• the concave depression, bead area, and beveled surface cooperating to cause the break point at which the second sheet separates from the first sheet, to be located at a vertical position between a first horizontal plane tangent to the point of minimum seal thickness defined by the concave depression and a second horizontal plane tangent to a top of the bead and parallel to the first horizontal plane;
• and
• a second bead area between the first and second sheets extending beyond the bevel surface.

In a container which comprises a pair of flexible, collapsible, facing walls, said container carrying a selectively openable seal line between a pair of adjoining flexible thermoplastic sheets, said seal line defining a bead area of increased thickness sealing said pair of sheets together in an angular relation, at least one of said thermoplastic sheets joining said bead at a position substantially to one side thereof and spaced from the area of said bead which is most distant from the other of said thermoplastic sheets, and an arcuate depression defining a concave downward surface extending from substantially the junction of said one sheet and said bead to a minimum seal thickness point of the two sealed sheets, whereby manipulation of said one thermoplastic sheet can cause the formation of a break line through said one thermoplastic sheet beginning substantially at its junction at the side of the bead area, to sever said one sheet from the bead area for forming an aperature in said container, said arcuate depression having a concave upward surface extending upwardly from said minimum seal thickness point away from said concave downward surface and said bead area, said seal line defining a bevelled surface defined by said one thermoplastic sheet in which the thickness of said seal along said bevelled surface increases, moving away from said arcuate depression to an end of the seal and the other thermoplastic sheets.